The public is being asked to donate to the Gay Polo League’s “Polotini Presents Wigstock!” fundraising campaign benefiting SAGE, a nonprofit supporting elderly members of the LGBT community. For every dollar donated, Cherry Knoll Farm will match up to $10,000.
The Gay Polo League and Margaret H. Duprey, owner of Cherry Knoll Farm, a strong ally of the LGBT community and a valued GPL sponsor, are helping Sage support LGBT elders in South Florida cope with the new normal. SAGE is a national advocacy and services organization that has been looking out for LGBT elders since 1978.
March 2020 will be remembered as the month that COVID-19 pandemic became a reality. Overnight, events were cancelled or postponed indefinitely, including GPL’s Lexus International Gay Polo Tournament, presented by Douglas Elliman Real Estate. The CDC advised people to socially distance, stay home, avoid large groups, disinfect and disengage physically. Adjusting to the new normal can be difficult for most and very challenging for others. Especially for LGBT elders, it is an unprecedented time.
LGBT older adults are twice as likely to be single and four times less likely to have children as non-LGBT elders. A full 25 percent of LGBT elders don’t have someone to turn to in the event of an emergency. These statistics reflect the reality that many LGBT people age without the benefit and protection of family advocates or caregivers. Consequently, many LGBT elders feel unseen, alone and forgotten. For LGBT elders, the impact of COVID-19 compounds their pre-existing isolation, fear and loneliness.
SAGEConnect is a new program aimed at minimizing the emotional toll on LGBT elders and enable them to stay engaged, make connections and receive the help they need. SAGE and its affiliates are also supporting LGBT elders with food deliveries, additional telephone check-ins and interactive sessions on Zoom to boost morale, increase interaction and revitalize constituents.
The GPL wants to make May the month remembered for coming together to help others in difficult circumstances. Click here to donate to the GPL’s SAGE fundraiser.
Founded in 1978, SAGE is the nation’s oldest and largest organization dedicated to serving and advocating for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) older adults. To learn more about Sage, visit www.sageusa.org.
